After nearly eight months of pitched battles between the Ukrainian military and Russian-backed separatists, the Donetsk airport fell to the rebel forces at the end of January. The defeat was a major loss for the Ukrainian government. This separatist win was followed a month later by the encirclement of almost 8,000 Ukrainian soldiers at the strategic town of Debaltseve. There, too, Ukrainian troops ultimately had to withdraw following sustained artillery barrages and direct Russian military involvement along the front lines. Now, despite a ceasefire recently signed in Minsk, the separatists are consolidating their gains in eastern Ukraine. Here’s …read more
Source: Business Insider
